1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic musical system comprised of an electronic musical apparatus having a sequencer and a musical control apparatus for remotely controlling the electronic musical apparatus, and relates to a control method for controlling the electronic musical apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic musical system is conventionally known that includes an electronic musical apparatus having a sequencer and a musical control apparatus for remotely controlling the electronic musical apparatus.
For example, there is known an electronic musical system comprised of an electronic musical apparatus including a PC (personal computer) on which DAW (digital audio workstation) software is installed and runs and a musical control apparatus including a physical controller such as a MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) keyboard, the system being adapted to control the DAW software by the physical controller (see, for example, MOTIF ES OWNER'S MANUAL, Yamaha Corporation). With Steinberg's Cubase (registered trademark) SX which is an example DAW software, a software tone generator selected by a user from software tone generators installed in a PC can be assigned to a track of a sequencer (see, for example, the following document). In the settings of each of software tone generators assigned to respective tracks, a control screen for the tone generator is displayed on a display, and tone generator settings are made on the control screen. Specifically, in order to display on the display the control screen for the software tone generator for which the settings are to be made, a user manipulates a menu or a button displayed on the display with a mouse or other pointing device or an alphanumeric input keyboard of a PC. Then, using the pointing device and the keyboard, the user selects desired ones of tone generator parameters displayed on the control screen and inputs values of the selected parameters into the control screen.
“THE BEST REFERENCE BOOKS Cubase SX/SL 2X for Windows (registered trademark) 2000/XP Comprehensive Operation Guide”, Ken Fujimoto and Tomoki Ohtubo, Jul. 31, 2004, Vol. 1, Rittor Music, Inc.
During music production, the user sometimes displays the control screen to make tone generator settings. In that case, according to the conventional electronic musical system described above, the user has to discontinue manipulations of the physical controller for the music production in order to start manipulations of the PC to display the control screen and make the tone generator settings thereon. The user is therefore obliged to discontinue the music production using the physical controller upon each execution of tone generator settings.
Further, depending on a status of screen on the display, the aforementioned button for being manipulated by the user to display the control screen on the display may be hidden by another window. In that case, even manipulation to display the control screen cannot be made unless that window is temporarily hidden from the display. As a result, the user's attention is entirely changed from the music production to the manipulation to display the control screen, and much time and effort are needed for the user to again concentrate on the music production.